Pages

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Hannibal's Roasted Tomato Pilaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While the rice and barley simmered, my mind wandered and Hannibal and the armies of Carthage came to mind. I think the color of the grains triggered my reverie. I was looking at a decidedly hot mess and needed some distraction until everything in that pot came together. I comforted myself with the knowledge that those armies, fueled by grains such as these, crossed the Alps and challenged the power of Rome. That they lost was beside the point. I was determined, at the very least, to tame the contents of my pot. As it turned out, I worried needlessly. My plan included the addition of roasted tomatoes, and a quick taste at the end of cooking revealed a pleasantly flavored, nutty surprise that was brightened by the flavor and color of the fruit. I'm still relatively new to meatless cooking and I'm always taken aback when dishes like this actually work. In order to assure the brown rice was cooked, I staggered the addition of the barley and orzo. I was afraid that if everything went into the pot at the same time the orzo and barley would become gummy before the rice was done. That meant one extra pan, but I'm glad I took the time to do it that way. The roasted tomatoes were great, but I think garlic sauteed zucchini would have worked as well. Even my committed carnivore enjoyed the dish, though he ate it with a chop on the side. Whether you have it as a main course or a side dish, I think you'll like this, too. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside.b2) While tomatoes bake, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet and heat until warm. Add brown rice and sauteed until grains are coated and lightly brown. Add salt and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.3) Add reserved 1 tablespoon olive oil to a second skillet and heat until warm. Add barley and orzo and cook until grains are coated and lightly brown.4) Stir barley and orzo into brown rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed and mixture is tender, about 20 minutes longer.5) Lightly toss pilaf mixture with roasted tomatoes. Season to taste. Garnish with basil if desired. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 6 servings.

You had me at "Hannibal". I think you're right about the zucchini. I have an overabundance of cherry tomatoes and zucchini at the moment along with a pork tenderloin calling for a side--for the carnivores of course.

Don't you just love it when certain recipes or foods bring forth images from far away places? It sounds like your imagination was able to explore while you prepared this delicious and nutritious pilaf. Thank you for sharing!

Oh yum, this sounds just wonderful, Mary! I would never have thought of combining rice, orzo and barley in one dish, but it's just perfect for a house like mine- my husband loves rice, I love pasta and we both love barley! I'm sure the roasted tomatoes are delicious in this.

A pilaf of orzo, barley and rice. What I love about food blogging are the ideas I don't think of myself. Lovely dish. Had your thoughts drifted toward Jonah, you might have been able to call this a whale of a meal.

Yes I would have to serve a side of meat too. Once I made dinner without potatoes. Not something you do to a farmers son. That was when we were first married. I was a city girl, how did I know? Never did again though. Happy Pink Saturday!

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information about your visit for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a a users prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DoubleClick cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads. This blog is not responsible for the republishing of the content found here on other Web sites or media without the owners permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice